Parent stranded after Wits registration suspended

Parents of students registering at Wits University said they were deeply disappointed with the suspension of the process on Monday morning.

One parent said she had slept outside the university gates to have her child register as a first-year student.

"I don't think they will get their demands. I come from the Eastern Cape. I don't know where I am going to sleep with my child today. If we don't get this sorted today, she might not be able to register," Nombuyiselo Songelo said.

Another parent who wished to remain anonymous told News24 he had travelled from Dubai for his child's registration on Monday.

He said his daughter had a retinal disease and needed to fly to Turkey on Tuesday for reconstructive surgery.

"We came from Dubai yesterday [Sunday] and she leaves for Turkey tomorrow [Tuesday] for her surgery. If she doesn't register before tomorrow, all of the money we have spent on her studies will have gone to waste. I understand the students' cause, but as a parent it's frustrating," he told News24.

The Wits Student Representative Council disrupted registration on Monday morning, demanding all academically qualified students be allowed to register.

She said they would hand over a memorandum of demands to the institution's management at noon, giving them 24 hours to respond.

This protest follows last year's countrywide student demonstrations against fee increments for 2016. Following the action, President Jacob Zuma announced that there would be no increase in fees for the year. 

Source: News 24